Page 94 of Shifters Awakening

“Like a fox,” he said, wagging his eyebrows and making a flourish with his hands.

“My ass,” I hissed.

But Jasper had already forgotten all about me. He draped his arm over Olivia’s shoulders. “When can I see ye?”

Her expression hardened, and she stepped out of his grasp. “You know we’ve got too much shit going on for that.”

“Aye,” he said, not arguing, “but I won’t wait for ye forever, Olivia.”

She put her hands on her hips. “Your choice, Jasper. I take my position as second-to-the-alpha seriously.”

“I take her positions seriously, too, my dear.” He leered at her, making his risqué meaning clear, and I couldn’t stop my eyeroll.

Yet, for the first time, when I considered him more closely, I understood he covered his hurt, his insecurity,with humor. He really did have a thing for Olivia… a big thing. The truth of it surprised me.

I crossed my arms and then changed my mind about framing my breasts. Then I dropped my arms to my sides. Baby shifter vet lady still wasn’t nuts about being naked in front of a bunch of strangers.

Olivia studied Jasper then me then him again. “Logan’s on his way.”

I captured my bottom lip between my teeth. “It’ll be good to see him.”

“He’s looking forward to seeing you, too, Emma. Jasper… well, he’s a bit bitter about Jasper having all your time to himself.”

“Ye know I only have eyes for ye, O,” he interjected, pulling Olivia into his arms dramatically.

“Oh, shove off, and I told you not to call me that in public,” she said, pushing him out of the way, but she grinned at him before she marched back out to get more food and supplies.

Jasper followed her.

I settled in a spot at the top of the rows of seating, situating myself so I could watch shifters come and go. Larger crowds arrived now, stopping to load paper bowls with the hearty stew Olivia had brought from Six-Mile. Stout, lager, and some kind of wine made their way out of chests filled with ice, and the canswhooshedas they were opened throughout the amphitheater.

A thousand shifters collected on the stadium seating made from the landscaped ground. A thousand of those shifters entered the safety of the Conclave, looked meover, grabbed a drink and a meal provided by Six-Mile, and then made their way to their seats. The cumulative hum of hundreds of soft conversations turned to a roar that reminded me of the one tornado I’d lived through as a kid while on vacation with my parents.

Never in a million years would I have expected over a thousand people to see me sitting casually on a grassy bleacher, the blades tickling my ass crack, without me scrambling for clothes or ducking for cover. At one time, being naked in front of a crowd was a nightmare.

What a fucking turn of events.I heard the words in Logan’s growl, close behind my ear, and I shivered, beyond famished.

But I wasn’t hungry for food or thirsty for drink. Logan was drawing closer, and the spot he held in my mind grew stronger with each mile he took toward the Conclave.

Soon, Marcus Steele sauntered into the area, smoothing his light brown hair and searching the space until his eyes landed on me. He nodded once, but he didn’t smile or even react to my nakedness. He probably knew that Red Tail had smuggled me out of their territory so I didn’t have to see him.

AfterI’d thrown him out of my veterinary practice…

Or maybe he’d thrown himself out of my waiting room.

My actions made it clear that I didn’t want to deal with him or didn’t like him, and he had to be more than a little disgruntled about it. But he wasn’t Logan, and I didn’t care.

Wait…

He’s nearly…

Here!

I jumped to my feet as Logan appeared between the trees, moving into the space like a predator on the prowl. He’d lost some weight since I’d seen him last, and his hair had grown longer. He dragged his fingers through the disheveled mess as he stopped near Olivia and spoke quietly.

My feet rooted into place, and my thoughts warred between rushing toward Logan or remaining aloof. Dragging my gaze from his face wasn’t an option…

His eyes widened when they landed on me, and my throat dried. He marched toward me, circling me once, twice.

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